When a bow hunter is hunting game such as deer, it is common practice for the hunter to work his way into a thicket or into heavy brush where the hunter is concealed from observation by the deer. While approaching the preferred hunting spot and while in position, the hunter's bow is frequently buffeted or brushed by branches and the like.
A hunter using a compound bow typically attaches directly to the bow a quiver containing a supply of sharpened hunting arrows. The arrows are frequently of the broadhead type having multiple razor-sharp blades about the tip of the arrow. The arrowheads are normally protected from contacting each other in the quiver and are also enclosed within a safety cover ("broadhead shield") to protect the hunter from accidental contact. The shaft of each arrow is usually held in a resilient clamping means so that the hunter can easily detach an arrow and bring it into position for shooting by the bow.
A very successful means for mounting the hunting quiver onto the compound bow is that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,156,496 issued May 29, 1979 to Robert E. Stinson, which employs a resilient latch member positioned on one side of a mounting bracket. This prior patent, which is by the same inventor as the present invention and is incorporated herein by reference, also shows a mounting bracket which has a channel for receiving a mounting plate on the frame of the quiver in a tongue-and-groove fashion to hold the quiver in place on the bow. As mentioned above, as the hunter works his way through the underbrush or thicket to his preferred hunting spot, the quiver is frequently brushed or buffeted by brush, saplings, etc., and this can at times cause the resilient latch on the side of the quiver mount to be accidentally released, allowing the quiver to fall from the bow and possibly being lost or damaged, or dislodging one or more arrows and placing the hunter at risk of injury. Also, in view of the delicate nature of the razor-sharp edges on the hunting arrows, these edges can easily be chipped or broken if struck together.
Through extensive use of the hunting quiver on the compound bow, and the frequent attachment and detachment of the quiver from the bow, it is possible for dirt or snow, etc. to lodge between the interconnecting components, or for the latter to be damaged or misshapen, thereby causing faulty or potentially faulty mounting of the quiver. Also, by the very nature of the plastic materials used and the molding processes used to form the quiver mount and mounting bracket, it is possible for a slight amount of clearance to be present between these two components in certain cases. The slight difference in size and resulting space between the components can result in the generation of noise which can be detected by the hunted game. Since the usual bow hunter relies on stealth and camouflage to position himself in close proximity to the hunted game, noise is objectionable and cannot be tolerated. It is important then for the hunter to have a quiver mount which cannot become accidentally detached from the bow, and also a quiver mount which does not generate noise detectable by the hunted game.